The song is #89 in Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
California Dreaming
The Mamas & the Papas Lyrics
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I've been for a walk on a winters day
I'd be save and warm if I was in L.A.
California dreaming on such a winters day
Stepped into a church I passed along the way
Well, I got down on my knees and I began to pray
You know the preacher likes the cold he knows I'm gonna stay
All the leaves a brown and the sky is grey
I've been for a walk on a winters day
If I didn't tell her I could leave today
California dreaming on such a winters day
On such a winters day, on such a winters day
The lyrics to The Mamas & the Papas's song California Dreaming depict the longing and desperation of a person to escape a cold and dreary winter day and flee to the warmth of California. The opening lines, “All the leaves are brown and the sky is grey, I’ve been for a walk on a winter’s day," sets the tone for the entire song, emphasizing the dull and mundane nature of everyday cold weather. The singer yearns to escape and find refuge in the sunny beaches of Los Angeles, and muses that life would be better if they were there.
The second verse takes a religious turn as the singer encounters a church along their walk. In contrast with the priest who may enjoy the cold, the singer prays for warmth and the chance to escape to the sunshine. The phrase “You know the preacher likes the cold he knows I'm gonna stay” highlights the disconnect between the singer's longing to leave the cold and the preacher’s comfort in it. The chorus is repeated with the same message of escape and seeks to further emphasize the desperation and longing of the singer for warmth.
Line by Line Meaning
All the leaves are brown and the sky is grey
The winter season has stripped the trees of all their foliage and the overcast sky is dull and sad
I've been for a walk on a winters day
I have taken a stroll amidst the dreary, lifeless scenery of the winter season
I'd be save and warm if I was in L.A.
I would be comfortable and protected from the cold weather if I were in sunny Los Angeles
California dreaming on such a winters day
I am daydreaming about the warmth and beauty of California as I suffer through this cold winter day
Stepped into a church I passed along the way
I entered a church that I discovered on my walk
Well, I got down on my knees and I began to pray
I knelt down and initiated prayer, possibly as a way to escape my current landscape and mindset
You know the preacher likes the cold he knows I'm gonna stay
The preacher enjoys the winter season, but he is also aware that I will remain in California, the land of sunshine and warmth
If I didn't tell her I could leave today
If I didn't disclose to a certain person, whose identity remains unknown, I could depart for California at this very moment
On such a winters day, on such a winters day
Repeated again, emphasizing how frozen and lifeless the current day feels
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Michelle Gilliam, John Edmund Andrew Phillips
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@FolkExperience
Enjoy this vintage Spring music mix https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-iksA5NRao 🌻
@GermansRuinedWT
This is one of those rare times where I caught a comment early
@apollo4suns494
@@GermansRuinedWT indeed
@dianebrown6686
Must be smoking to much
@GGJordanFanatic
You should check out Angelina Jordan's cover and arrangement of this song and thank me later.
@fragglepuppies
True stereo
@giorgi222
This song makes me feel so weird, sad, nostalgic and happy at the same time, it’s confusing but I love it
@esmelivin1876
Omg same
@oAldanitao
I swear I feel the same
@Sao_Cheech_79
Same! 🙋🏻♂️✌️